The Japan-American Society of the State of Washington (JASSW) held its annual holiday celebration dinner and auction at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on Dec. 2.

The celebration raised over $40,000 in the auction. The “Making a Difference” raise-the-paddle donations supported the Japan in the Schools (JIS) program that introduces Japan to American students by showing the typical day of a Japanese student of similar age to compare and contrast. JIS also has curriculum that supports Japanese language classes in high schools by giving students opportunities to use their new language skills with native speaker volunteers. The JIS program was created by JASSW in 1994 and offered to teachers and their students free of charge. Entertainment for the celebration was provided by the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association. (end)